The South African governments vision, strategic direction and framework for climate policy was announced on 28 July 2008. The strategy follows two and a half years of work involving stakeholders from government, business, civil society and labour. It is based on findings and policy recommendations stemming from the South African governments long-term mitigation scenario (LTMS) process on climate change, launched in 2006. The LTMS presented three strategic options to deviate from business-as-usual greenhouse gas emissions trajectories, which the current vision, strategic direction and framework aim to implement. The governments vision is to limit global temperature increase to 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels, through a policy response comprising six themes. Theme 1: Greenhouse gas emission reductions and limits. Theme 2: Build on, strengthen and/or scale up current initiatives. Theme 3: Implementing the "Business Unusual" Call for Action. Key sectors are identified as "business unusual" sectors, with specific actions and measures to be taken. - The renewable energy sector has been identified as a key "business unusual" growth sector and policies and measures are to be put in place to meet a more ambitious national target for renewable energy. - The government is to promote the transition to a low-carbon economy and society, with all policy and other decisions that may have an impact on South Africas greenhouse gas emissions taking this commitment into account. Theme 4: Preparing for the future. - Increasing support for new and ambitious research and development targets being set, especially in the field of carbon-friendly technologies - with the focus on the renewable energy and transport sectors. - Using both formal and informal forms of education and outreach to encourage the behavioural changes required to support efficient and effective implementation of the climate change response policy. Theme 5: Vulnerability and Adaptation Theme 6: Alignment, Coordination and Cooperation - The roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, particularly the organs of state in all three spheres of government, will be clearly defined and articulated. - The structures required to ensure alignment, coordination and cooperation, will be clearly defined and articulated. - Climate change response policies and measures are to be mainstreamed within existing alignment, coordination and cooperation structures. With specific reference to mitigation, the government will be implementing and further implementing various strategic options. The Start Now strategic option is based, amongst others, on accelerated energy efficiency and conservation across all sectors, including more stringent building standards. The Reach for the Goal strategic options, setting ambitious research and develop targets, focussing on carbon-friendly technologies, identifying new resources, and affecting behavioural change. Combining regulatory mechanisms of the Scale Up strategic option with the economic instruments, such as taxes and incentives, of the Use the Market strategic option, with a view to: - Diversify the energy mix away from coal, while also shifting to cleaner coal, for example through the introduction of more stringent thermal efficiency and emissions standards for coal fired power stations. - Setting similar targets for electricity generated from both renewable and nuclear energy sources by the end of 2028, incentivising renewable energy through feed-in tariffs, while laying basis for a net zero-carbon electricity sector in the long term. The process of developing and implementing the National Climate Change Response Policy is to be complete by 2012. The first milestone will be the adoption of a framework at a national summit in February 2009, after which sectoral policy development and international negotiating positions are to be developed. The policy is to be amended in 2010 following the conclusion of international commitments, and the